Lady Lions end season one win short of state

MOSES LAKE — With a state-tournament berth on the line, defensive pressure by Pateros and shooting troubles throughout the game were the cause of Moses Lake Christian Academy's 42-26 loss to the Nannies Monday.

The game, for second place in the North Central 1B District tournament, looked as if it would be a defensive struggle from start to finish. Neither team was able to do much offensively, with MLCA using excellent half-court defense to keep Pateros away from the basket, and the Nannies using a harassing, trapping, full-court press to force numerous mistakes by the Lady Lions.

"We didn't handle it particularly well," said MLCA coach Scott Dietzen of Pateros' defensive pressure. "But, because we shot the ball so poorly, it just exaggerated the pressure."

"For some reason, we weren't as active in attacking the press," added Dietzen in reference to Thursday's game, in which MLCA defeated Pateros 51-43. "When we did and we had great looks, we just didn't knock down the shot."

The Lady Lions made just nine field-goals against Pateros, including only two baskets in a second half in which they scored just 10 points.

Early in the game, MLCA's defense was forcing Pateros to launch shots from near or behind the 3-point line that the Nannies were unable to convert.

However, with 2:48 to play in the first quarter, Pateros hit a 3-pointer that seemed to light a fire under the Nannies' shooters. They drained long shots on each of their next two possessions, and then converted a steal into an easy layup for a 13-6 lead. With a comfortable lead, Pateros was able to settle down and more consistently execute on the offensive end.

"Hand it to them, they hit some big shots," said Dietzen of the way Pateros heated up from the field.

As the Pateros lead grew in the second quarter, MLCA's quality of play began to decline more and more. Turnovers, missed shots and defensive lapses became more common as the Nannies' lead got bigger and bigger.

"We were just forcing things," said Dietzen. "You start to feel that way when you get down nine, 10, 11 points."

Monday's game was a stark contrast to how the Lady Lions played earlier in the tournament. Against Pateros Thursday, the Lady Lions were the ones who built the lead and cruised to victory. In that game, MLCA led 15-1 after the first quarter and controlled Pateros enough to prevent any serious threat of a comeback.

In Saturday's championship game, where they hung with Entiat for most of the game before falling back late to lose 56-47.

"For us to compete in that game definitely we made great steps," said Dietzen of how his team has developed over the season. "I just think our girls came so far this year compared to a year ago."